The Hidden Rollerskating Scene That Found Its Home in Port Said

On Friday, May 27th, thousands of skaters travelled from across all corners of Egypt to participate in Port Said Skating Day, organised by Power of Motion under the auspices of the governorate of Port Said, and in collaboration with the Egyptian Tourism Authority. The skating craze has only just begun to roll its way across Egypt, building up to the country’s biggest roller skating event yet along the shores of Port Said. 

“As the sport started to garner popularity in Alexandria, other governorates started to play the game as well,” leading Alexandrian skater Nasr Atef Mahmoud tells CairoScene. “This is the first event of its kind with these huge numbers of players to take place in Egypt. I hope this sport becomes nurtured across the nation.”  

Our trip to Port Said uncovered a hidden skating scene in the coastal city like no other. Armed with a passion for the sport, the competitors were greeted by the governor of Port Said before they embarked on a 5 KM marathon, eager to get to the finish line and go home with honorary certificates.

“I didn’t expect the turnout,” Mohamed Bakr, CEO of Power of Motion, tells CairoScene. “Our plans were to cover 500 players, but today, we exceeded a thousand skaters. We’ve been here since 2:00 AM to ensure that everything runs smoothly. In cooperation with the district, we will be holding this event every year on the same date.”

From the moment these skaters put on their boots all the way to the big finale across the finish line, check out our video to see how it all went down.